What happened to Daniel Jacobsen? Matt Painter gives important update on Purdue big man
Purdue coach Matt Painter announced a big update about Purdue freshman center Daniel Jacobsen, which might shape the course of the Big Ten, on Sunday night. Painter said that Jacobsen is out indefinitely and will likely sit out the season to undergo surgery to repair a fractured tibia in his right leg.
Jacobsen suffered the injury just one minute into the second regular season game in a 72-50 win over Northern Kentucky on Friday. The Boilermakers big man was fighting for post position when he took a knee to his shin.
He was helped off by teammates Fletcher Loyer and Gicarri Harris into the locker room. Jacobsen returned to the sidelines with ice wrapped in his right leg and using crutches. Purdue initially hoped that the injury was a bone bruise.
Jacobsen had a promising start for Purdue, racking up 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a 90-73 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 4.
A 7-foot-4 center weighing 230 pounds, Jacobsen slowly climbed the ranks and emerged as a four-star recruit ranked No. 53 in the 2024 class.
Jacobsen tallied 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in his senior year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He got second-team All-Star 5 honors while playing for the USA U18 National Team at the Americup in Argentina.
What's next for the Purdue Boilermakers?
Daniel Jacobsen will be medically redshirting for the 2024-2025 season, which gives him four more years of eligibility for Purdue.
As for the Boilermakers' big-man rotation, Matt Painter will tinker around redshirt sophomore Will Berg, freshman Raleigh Burgess and senior Caleb Furst. The trio combined for 19 points and 14 rebounds in 41 minutes in the 22-point win over Northern Kentucky.
Purdue will now depend upon those three on the interior moving forward.
Caleb Furst appeared in 36 games last season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in nine minutes per game. He also helped the United States in getting the gold medal in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia.
Berg suited up in 14 games for Purdue last season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds. He also represented Sweden on the U16 and U18 national teams.
Meanwhile, Raleigh Burgess was a top 75 prospect before suffering a leg injury, notching 15.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.5 assists for Sycamore High in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a senior.
The Boilermakers host the Yale Bulldogs on Monday at West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue will have a showdown with No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday at Mackey Arena.